Can Ben Simmons Lead Philadelphia 76ers In Four Month Season?

By Bret Stuter | Nov 7, 2016

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver holds a basketball while posing for a photo with draft prospects from left Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) , Ben Simmons (LSU), Brandon Ingram (Duke) and Kris Dunn (Providence) before the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

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He was the top draft pick of the 2016 NBA Draft. After rehabbing his fractured foot over several months, can Ben Simmons truly lead this Philadelphia 76ers team?

Karma has a way of flirting with the fans of the Philadelphia 76ers. For two years the Philadelphia 76ers failed to score the top draft pick of an NBA draft, despite hovering at the bottom of the NBA standings. But when the team dropped to 10-72, the team also dropped president Sam Hinkie. Then, the team won the NBA lottery for the top draft choice of the 2016 NBA Draft, and selected Ben Simmons.

The hope is that Ben Simmons can lead this team. But can he?

In the vacuum of starting an NBA season without Simmons, the Philadelphia 76ers must “make do”. That means the team was forced to trust someone to run the team’s plays. It also means that the team would naturally rally around a player or players who perform at or above expectations.

So far, the team has found a field general in point guard Sergio Rodriguez.

But more importantly, the team has placed all of it’s spotlights on center Joel Embiid. In fact, the fanbase may have beaten the team to the punch on that one.